Reductions in viral load and increases in T lymphocyte numbers in treatment-naive patients with advanced HIV-1 infection treated with ritonavir, zidovudine and zalcitabine triple therapy.

In order to test the hypothesis that a combination of protease inhibitors with nucleoside analogues-agents known to inhibit different steps of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) life cycle--is likely to prove more effective in reducing viral loads than either of those modalities alone, we performed a 60 week, open-label trial in 32 HIV-positive patients with depressed CD4 T lymphocyte cell counts but no active AIDS-defining illnesses. For the first 2 weeks, patients received 600 mg twice daily of liquid ritonavir, a protease inhibitor; then zidovudine 200 mg three times daily and zalcitabine 0.75 mg three times daily were added to the treatment regimen.

Cryptococcus neoformans antibody levels in patients with AIDS.

Anti-Cryptococcus neoformans capsular polysaccharide (CPS) antibodies were measured by ELISA in patients with AIDS related complex or AIDS without a known history of cryptococcosis and in heterosexual healthy controls. Total and IgG anti-CPS antibody activity was rarely detected in patients, with mean levels lower than in controls, whereas IgM antibody activity was similar in the 3 groups. Since both humoral and cellular immunity appear to be of great importance during cryptococcosis, the inability of AIDS patients to synthetize specific IgG antibodies could impair an alternative host defence mechanism to cellular immunity.

[Hepatic involvement in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Study of 20 cases].

Liver biopsies were systematically performed in 20 patients with evidence of an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (18 with opportunistic infections, 9 with Kaposi's sarcoma). Hepatitis, related to hepatitis-B virus in 3 cases and to cytomegalovirus in 3 cases, was present in 6 of them. All patients had at least one of the three following lesions: non-specific portal inflammatory infiltration (6 cases), granulomatous lesions (12 cases), vascular abnormalities (12 cases).

[Cost of transfusion in AIDS. Experience at the Claude-Bernard Hospital apropos of 28 cases].

The study of 28 confirmed cases of AIDS shows that transfused patients use a large amount of hospital's blood products, especially platelets. For these patients, the average cost of transfusion is higher than that, for intensive care unit patient's. The use of irradiated products increases the cost (+ 35%).

[Inguinal mycetoma caused by A. pelletieri. Apropos of a case].

This work is a report of a new case of A. pelletieri inguinal mycetoma probably of primary localization. This ganglionary localization may be responsible for therapeutic failures and a regular survey is needed after a partial surgical cure was done.

[The Duffy blood group in migrants of French-speaking Africa].

The Duffy blood types survey in 544 subjects coming from French speaking African countries, shows the high percentage of subjects having a Duffy a- b- blood type (94%). It ought to be emphasized that this predominantly Duffy a- b- population resides in areas in where there is according to the WHO data, a very low incidence of Plasmodium vivax invasion. Moreover, we have taken for another example North Vietnam, an area where there is a large Plasmodium vivax invasion and where we have found a small percentage of Duffy negative subjects (5.

[Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in 4 homosexuals].

Two young homosexual men apparently without any obvious cause of immunosuppression suddenly developed a series of opportunistic infections. Two others presented with prolonged fever and multiple lymph node enlargement of obscure origin. Immunological investigations in these 4 patients showed skin anergy and inversion of helper/suppressor lymphocyte ratio.

[Immune complexes and complement in leprosy (author's transl)].

The sera of 87 Senegalese patients with various forms of leprosy were investigated. Two of the most reliable methods were used to detect circulating immune complexes : the radiolabelled C1q binding test and the Raji cell binding technique. Several fractions of complement, including C3, C4, factor B and the C3d product of C3 were also assayed.

Circulating immune complexes in six patients with trichinosis.

The sera of six patients infected with Trichinella spiralis were studied for the presence of circulating immune complexes (CIC). CIC were present in all six patients studied 1 month after infection. In two patients in whom serial serum samples were available, as clinical improvement occurred there was a decrease in the level of CIC and an increase in the fluorescent antibody titres.

[The relation of infection with the hepatitis B-agent to primary hepatic carcinoma (author's transl)].

In Asia, Africa and other tropical areas primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) is associated with liver cirrhosis of the post-necrotic (macronodular) type. Chronic viral hepatitis is likely to be the cause of this cirrhosis in many patients from regions where chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is common. More than 95% of patients with hepatoma (in Mali and Senegal) have evidence of infection with HBV, a much higher frequency than in controls.

Host responses to hepatitis-B infection in patients with primary hepatic carcinoma and their families. A case/control study in Senegal, West Africa.

A case/control study of patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (P.H.C.

Hepatitis B surface antigen (Australia antigen) in mosquitoes collected in Senegal, West Africa.

During July and August of 1973, 9,198 mosquitoes were collected in the Republic of Senegal. Eight species of mosquitoes were found in the collections: Culex thalassius, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus, Culex trigripes, Culex phillipi, Aedes irritans, Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae, and Mansonia sp. Specimens were sorted by biological condition; those obviously engorged were designated as (E), females with swollen abdomens not conspicuously blooded were considered gravid (G), and those with normal or shrunken abdomens were considered neither blooded nor gravid (U).

The relation of infection with the hepatitis B agent to primary hepatic carcinoma.

In Asia, Africa, and other tropical areas, primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) is associated with liver cirrhosis of the postnecrotic (macronodular) type. Chronic viral hepatitis is likely to be the cause of this cirrhosis in many patients from regions where chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is common. More than 95% of patients with hepatoma (in Mali and Senegal) have evidence of infection with HBV, a much higher frequency than in controls.